August house prices up 0.3 per cent since July: average house price in England and Wales now £167,423

The August data from Land Registry’s flagship House Price Index shows an annual price increase of 6.7 per cent which takes the average property value in England and Wales to £167,423. The monthly change from July to August is an increase of 0.3 per cent.

All regions in England and Wales experienced increases in their average property values over the last 12 months. The region with the highest annual price change is London with an increase of 11.4 per cent. The region with the smallest annual price rise is the North East with a movement of 1.6 per cent. The West Midlands experienced the greatest monthly rise with an increase of 1.2 per cent. Yorkshire and The Humber experienced the most significant monthly price fall with a movement of -1.4 per cent.

The most up-to-date figures available show that during June 2010, the number of completed house sales in England and Wales rose by nine per cent to 59,390 from 54,710 in June 2009. The number of properties sold in England and Wales for over £1 million increased by 81 per cent between June 2009 and June 2010, from 331 to 599.

For more information go to www1.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices
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Region

Monthly change (since July 2010)

Annual change(since Aug 2009)

Average price (Aug 2010)

West Midlands

1.2%

5.5%

£137,846

East Midlands

1.1%

5.4%

£131,166

London

0.9%

11.4%

£345,734

South East

0.9%

9.4%

£213,807

England & Wales

0.3%

6.7%

£167,423

Wales

0.3%

2.2%

£125,131

South West

-0.2%

6.4%

£178,672

North East

-0.4%

1.6%

£110,483

North West

-0.4%

1.8%

£118,292

East

-0.6%

6.6%

£177,067

Yorkshire & The Humber

-1.4%

2.6%

£126,458

Average prices by property type (England and Wales)

August 2010

August 2009

Difference

Detached

£264,389

£243,907

8.4%

Semi-detached

£157, 691

£148,621

6.1%

Terraced

£127,608

£120,194

6.2%

Flat/maisonette

£155,907

£146,840

6.2%

All

£167,423

£156,908

6.7%

Month

Sales 2010 (England and Wales)

Sales 2009 (England and Wales)

Difference

January

35,647

26,232

36%

February

42,225

27,221

55%

March

50,843

35,479

43%

April

51,426

39,293

31%

May

50,696

45,819

11%

June

59,390

54,710

9%

width="142" valign="top">Month

Sales 2009 (England and Wales)

Sales 2008 (England and Wales)

Difference

January

26,232

57,183

-54%

February

27,221

61,002

-55%

March

35,479

57,153

-38%

April

39,293

61,581

-36%

May

45,819

64,431

-29%

June

54,710

58,057

-6%

July

63,597

52,074

22%

August

58,246

47,756

22%

September

58,371

40,835

43%

October

65,632

43,930

49%

November

60,864

35,799

70%

December

78,117

39,209

99%

Total

613,581

619,010

-1%

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Since 2006, Land Registry’s House Price Index (HPI), which is available free at www1.landregistry.gov.uk/houseprices has gathered its own momentum to become a leading indicator of property movement within England and Wales. It is widely viewed as “the most accurate barometer of the housing market”.

2. The HPI is published on the twentieth working day of each month. The September index will be published at 11am on Thursday 28 October.

3. The HPI uses a sample size that is larger than all other statistical measures available. It is calculated using Land Registry’s dataset of all residential property sales completed in England and Wales since January 1995.

4. Land Registry’s dataset contains details on 16 million residential transactions. Of these, over six million are identifiable matched pairs, providing the basis for the repeat sales regression analysis used to complete the index. This technique of quality adjustment ensures an “apples to apples” comparison between properties.

5. With the largest transactional database of its kind detailing over 22 million titles, Land Registry underpins the economy by safeguarding ownership of many billions of pounds worth of property.

6. As a government department established in 1862, executive agency and trading fund responsible to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Land Registry keeps and maintains the Land Register for England and Wales. The Land Register has been an open document since 1990.

7. For further information about Land Registry visit www.landregistry.gov.uk